Shoe-lace



M. E. THAPHAGEN.

SHOE LACE.

APPLlcAlowflLEo Ha. 9. 1920.

1,373,687. Patented Apr. `5, 1921.

www @3M/M giftig/ @Maffia Man 0 495% -UNITED STATES PATENT n OFFICE. i

SHOE-LACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

Application filed February 9, 1920. Serial No.. 357,245.

To all w hom 'it may concern:

Be .it known that I, MAXWELL'E. TRAP- HAGuN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Laces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has as one of its objects to provide a lacing having tips comprised principally of textile fabric so combined with the lace as to be inseparable.

A further object is to provide a tip of essentially integral construction with the lace, capable of being colored to match, presenting a neat and attractive appearance. and which is adapted for long continued service and can be manufactured at a minimum of cost.

A, further object is to provide a lace tip made by wrapping a thread tightly about the extending end of the tape in such a manner that if any part of the winding be severed, the remaining sections will not unravel.

These objects are attained by the novel construction, combination of parts and use of materials hereinafter set forth and shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a material part of this disclosure, and in which Figure l is a fragmentary view showing a conventional type of shoe lace and indieating the initial operation of formation.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same showing the final stage of construction.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the thread or cord used in winding the tip, drawn to an enlarged scale and showing the protective covering.

Fig. -l is a diagrammatic view showing a modified form of winding the tip.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral 10 designates a common form of shoe lacing, which obviously maybe of any desired length and made of any preferred material, as silk, linen, or cotton, either plain or mercerized, the several fiber strands being woven or braided into a relatively narrow flat strip or tape as indicated.

This tape, after being cut to length, has passed through it, adjacent the ends, a plurality of stitches 11, a strong thread 12 being used, previously coated with shellac, wax, or the like as at 14, one end of which is thus firmly secured in the tape while the free end is tightly and smoothly wound about the extending end of the tape, which is compactly gathered into cylindrical shape for that purpose and is of a suitable length to form the tip.

The convolutions of the coil l5 are juxtaposed circumjacent to the gathered end of the tip by suitable mechanism, and the free end of the innermost coil passed repeatedly throughthe tape as at 16, thereby preventing unwinding of the coil and also acting as a securing means for the thread l2 as well as a reinforcement for the end of the tip.

.Finally the tip may be dipped or otherwise coated with shellac or similarV quick drying material, when in liquid or semiliquid plastic state, which impregnates the coil, lling the interstices and providing a relatively hard, smooth, glossy and impervious surface constituting a casing or covering which stiffens the tip to the necessary degree. l

lVhile the foregoing description refers to a lace made of tape, it will be apparent Ythat, tubular or other form of lacing'may be utilized as the body and treated in a similar manner.

It will be understood that the thread used agrees in color with the lace and that the shellac may have incorporated in it suitable colored pigments, so that a uniform appearance of lasting quality is obtained.

In the modified form of winding, shown specifically in Fig. 4, the body 20 of the lacing material is gathered at the end 21. and at the extremity of the tip is secured the bight of a similar thread, the diverging ends 22 and 22 being wound in reverse manner, forming alternate coils 23 and 23', crossing at their intersections, forming an interlaced structure in which each coil is constrained tightly and securely upon the gathered tip, the thread ends 22 and 2 2 ultimately being engaged in the manner before described withv the body of the lacing.

Thus the structure of the tip is homogenous and non-separable, even under the most severe conditions of use, and no metal or other material subject to corrosion or loosening is employed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that lacings for such common purposes as shoes, corsets, etc., may be provided with an effective and substantial form of tip capable of being threaded through eyelets and like openings in an easy and convenient manner.

Having thus described my invention and set forth the manner of its construction and use, What I claim as new and desire to se cure by Letters Patent, is

l. A lace comprising a body portion, a flexible strand stitched securely into said body portion and coiled tightly over the end portion thereof including the stitches, said strand being stitched into the body beyond the inner end of the coil thusformed.

k2. A lace comprising a body portion, flexible strands stitched securely into the ends of `the end portions thereof the length of the coils being sulicient to form tips, the ends of the strands being repeatedly passed through the body, in the manner of stitching, adjacent the inner ends of the coils formed by the windings.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specification.

MAXWELL E. TRAPHAGEN. 

